1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for breathing air from above the water during swimming and snorkeling activities, and more particularly, to a snorkel apparatus that permits such breathing while also providing a supplemental source of oxygen for inspiration by the user.
2. Description of Related Art
In human beings, oxygen is the fuel that helps our bodies create energy. As we breath in air, our lungs transfer oxygen to the billions of red blood cells that circulate in our blood stream. These red blood cells then transfer the oxygen to distant organs and cells throughout the body. When there is a shortage of oxygen in the red blood cells, less oxygen reaches these organs and cells, which places extra demands on the body. Additionally, oxygen is critical for muscle functioning. Proper oxygenation of the blood allows the body to produce and supply adenosine triphosphate (commonly known as “ATP”) to the muscles, giving them strength and elasticity. A lack of oxygen causes the body to produce ATP less efficiently and generate lactic acid, which, when it builds up in the muscles, reduces the efficiency of muscle contractions and can lead to cramps, pulls, and strains.
While at the beginning of the twentieth century the atmospheric oxygen concentration was notably higher, it is now generally accepted that the atmospheric air we breathe contains approximately only 20 percent oxygen. Therefore, it is believed by many that it has become more important for one's well-being to supplement oxygen content in the body, and that it is also advantageous to supplement oxygen intake while exercising. For example, in order to fuel and rejuvenate their bodies, for many years athletes have inspired supplemental oxygen during brief respites in their training and competition, and drink manufacturers have even begun to market oxygenated water to supplement the body's oxygen levels. Also, an increasing segment of the population has begun to frequent oxygen bars, where they inspire supplemental oxygen with the belief that it may result in benefits such as reducing stress, increasing energy and alertness, lessening the effects of headaches and sinus problems, and generally relaxing the body.
For the average person, however, visits to oxygen bars or the frequent purchase of oxygenated water may be cost prohibitive. Many such persons nevertheless participate in a regular fitness program with the goal of increasing stamina and well-being, and such programs can include a variety of aerobic activities suited to the individual needs and physiology of the person.
It is well recognized that swimming and snorkeling are challenging and beneficial aerobic activities, which provide a healthy alternative to high impact forms of cardiovascular exercise such as running. When engaging in such activities, snorkeling devices permit a swimmer to breath the air from the ambient above water atmosphere while swimming under it, and many recreational swimmers will wear such devices even while swimming laps or the like as part of their exercise regimen. Such snorkeling devices have taken a variety of forms in the prior art, and generally incorporate a mask and a mouthpiece connected to an air tube that is configured to extend above the user's head and through which he or she may breath air from above the water. While such devices have proven suitable for most swimming and snorkeling applications, the swimmer does not receive the above referenced benefits derived from the simultaneous inspiration of a supplemental supply of oxygen during exercise.
For deeper water swimming and diving, and for remaining under water for sustained time periods, many different underwater breathing devices have also been proposed. Such devices will generally include a supply of compressed air that is delivered by way of a conduit to a mouthpiece, from which the diver will breath in the delivered air. Some of these types of devices, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,051,170 to Benzel and U.S. Pat. No. 2,488,261 to Bedini, are adapted to permit the diver to breath air from either an air storage tank or from the above water atmosphere by way of a snorkel tube. In such devices, a valve located in the distal portion of the snorkel tube permits air to pass into the tube when it is above water, but will close off when submerged to prevent the entrance of water. The user then relies upon the inspiration of air from the air storage tank until the distal end of the snorkel tube again emerges into the air and the valve opens back up, at which point the user will resume breathing atmospheric air through the snorkel tube. However, the air storage tank of such devices is cumbersome and not suitable for exercise applications such as swimming laps and the like. Moreover, such devices are not constructed to permit the swimmer to breathe air from the atmosphere while simultaneously inspiring supplemental oxygen from a supplemental source and deriving the benefits therefrom.
Therefore, a need exists for a snorkeling device that affords a swimmer the air intake capability of traditional snorkeling devices, while also providing a supplemental source of oxygen so that the swimmer may, at the same time, derive the well-being benefits believed to be associated with supplemental oxygen inspiration. It would be especially beneficial if such a device were adapted for use during the swimming of laps or other such aerobic exercises performed in the water. The present invention fulfills this need.